The Remains of the Day

-- The Remains of the Day is a spellbinding portrayal of a vanished way of life and a haunting meditation on the high cost of duty. It is also one of the most subtle, sad and humorous love stories ever written. It is the summer of 1956, when Stevens, a man who has dedicated himself to his career as a perfect butler in the one-time great house of Darlington Hall, sets off on a holiday that will take him deep into the English countryside and, unexpectedly, into his own past, especially his friendship with the housekeeper, Miss Kenton. As memories surface of his lifetime "in service" to Lord Darlington, and of his life between the wars, when the fate of the continent seemed to lie in the hands of a few men, he finds himself confronting the dark undercurrent beneath the carefully run world of his employer.

Frankly I only picked up this book because it was a Booker Prize winner and by a Nobel Prize winning author. It was a P.G. Wodehouse meets Jane Austen account of four decades of a British butler's life. Stevens the Butler has a wonderful voice as he tells his tale of all that transpired in Lord Darlington's mansion and subsequently of the scaling down by the new American owner. I enjoyed his style and the undercurrent of unrequited romance. I would unhesitatingly recommend this book. It is a breath of fresh air.

I chose this book because Kazuo Ishiguro had won the Nobel Prize in Literature and I was really excited to read something of his, maybe a little too excited. I guess the low rating is a result of how boring I found the book, yet I think that is the only reason for the low rating. I found it interesting how the author went into the politics of being a butler and the art of being a butler and the heavily debated topics of what makes a good butler, but there is only so much I could stand.
The main character is excellently crafted and he reminded me a little bit of Monk, I was annoyed at him many times and I felt sadness for him as his residence diminished in size, yet the book was lacking. However, I don't think there is anyone who could have written a better book with the same plot. I am looking forward to reading his other books, with a little bit of caution.
PS I feel like I definitely missed something that others understood.

Butler on holiday through the countryside in the 1920’s confronts criticism of his previous master’s politics. The cool voice leaves you with great pity for the subservient Mr. Stevens - for his utter acceptance of loyalty, and for the author’s quiet mocking of his single vision narrator. Henry James satire in high modern English.

This is one of those instances in which I'm glad I saw the movie first. I love the story. It's about an era I've always had a great interest in, the time between the two world wars.

The movie was a precursor to Downtown Abbey. It starred Sir Anthony Hopkins, who is, in my opinion, the greatest dramatic actor ever, period. And, he starred with Emma Thompson, who I also love. I could possibly be that my appreciation for Sir Anthony's portrayal kept Stevens from coming across as completely devoid of human feelings. I had little sympathy for him until the final chapters when things suddenly become clear to him.

I honestly think having seen the movie made it easier for me to enjoy the book. In the book, the events are told from recall, with Stevens' complete insouciance of emotion providing commentary. In the movie, while Sir Anthony can deadpan better than most actors, he did manage to convey basic emotions.

I saw the movie made from this book quite a few years ago and liked it (Anthony Hopkins). You have to persist past the first chapter or two which are a bit of a snooze. After that, the character of the butler grabs you and you start trying to figure out what makes this guy tick. His relationship with the housekeeper is a big clue to his personality but it's a clue that's only completely revealed in the last pages.

The Remains of the Day is a quiet, affecting novel that walks in the steps of a mid-twentieth century butler. Little happens in these pages that will excite your average reader. It is Ishiguro's ability to reveal the story so slowly, to create such a believable character, and to craft such a quietly devastating conclusion that makes this story “exciting”.

I was never one for historical fiction before this novel. The clever undertones, oblivious (or intentionally ignorant depending on your point of view) narrator, and feeling of a shared familiar story shared from a new perspective all contribute to making this book a must read. Ishiguro is the king of the slow-reveal while still keeping it fresh.

Quotes

You've got to enjoy yourself. The evening's the best part of the day. You've done your day's work. Now you can put your feet up and enjoy it. That's how I look at it. Ask anybody, they'll all tell you. The evening's the best part of the day.

You see, I TRUSTED. I trusted in his lordship's wisdom. All those years I served him, I trusted I was doing something worthwhile. I can't even say I made my own mistakes. Really--one has to ask oneself--what dignity is there in that?

The great butlers are by great by virtue of their ability to inhabit their professional role and inhabit it to the utmost; they will not be shaken out by external events, however surprising, alarming, or vexing. They wear their professionalism as a decent gentleman will wear his suit; he will not let ruffians or circumstance tear it off him n the pubic gaze; he will discard it, when, and only when, he wills to do so, and this will invariably be when he is entirely alone. It is, as I say, a matter of 'dignity'.